Penny-pinch on organics.

Skip organic “junk” foods like cookies and crackers, but do go organic for milk. Most families drink milk every day, and a couple of recent European studies suggest organic can be healthier than the conventional version. In those studies, organic milk contained 75 percent more beta-carotene, 50 percent more vitamin E, and up to 70 percent more omega-3 fatty acids.

Hit the deep freeze for produce.

Cold protects nutrients along with your wallet. In one study, frozen broccoli’s vitamin C dipped just 10 percent in a year’s time, while fresh broccoli’s plummeted 56 percent in seven days.

Don’t snub store brands.

Generic canned or bottled goods and cereals are often identical in quality to name brands. And picking brand X can make natural or organic items affordable.

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Do it yourself.

You can buy a loaf of whole-grain bread for about $4—or make seven or eight loaves from a five-pound bag of flour for about $3. Automatic bread makers do all the work and are available for as little as $25.